#35: (12/9/24) Early & Growth Stage Tech Startup Funding Recap!
Check Out This Week's Venture Capital Investment Summary ($478.42 million raised across 11 featured companies) Spanning Early & Growth-Stage US Based Environmental Technology & Enterprise Software Startups!
Every Monday, the team here at Bearhug Recruiting aggregates, researches, and publishes a recap of the prior week's fundraising activity within the early and growth-stage Environmental Technology & Enterprise Software startup ecosystem.
This research not only allows us to keep our finger on the pulse of the markets we serve, but also benefits others who, like us, enjoy analyzing the latest trends that signal investor confidence AND startup growth within what we believe are the most exciting and impactful segments!
We also hope the people and companies we feature enjoy both a virtual fist bump from the team at Bearhug, plus benefit from some additional free market exposure to amplify their mission. Make sure you reach out to any that are interesting/relevant that you might be able to help!
Here’s this week’s startup funding recap:
AMP, led by Matanya Horowitz and Tim Stuart, has raised $91 million in a Series D funding round. AMP provides AI-powered sortation systems for the waste and recycling industry, using deep learning to identify recyclables and contaminants in real-time. Its AMP ONE™ system enables efficient sorting of municipal solid waste (MSW) through advanced pattern recognition, reducing manual sorting and increasing recovery efficiency. With over 400 AI systems deployed across North America, Asia, and Europe, AMP has identified 150 billion items and sorted more than 2.5 million tons of recyclables, revolutionizing recycling processes with safer and more cost-effective solutions. The company plans to accelerate the deployment of its AMP ONE™ systems, expanding capabilities for MSW sorting and enhancing recycling infrastructure. The round was led by Congruent Ventures (Abe Yokell), with participation from Sequoia Capital (Shaun Maguire), XN, Blue Earth Capital, Liberty Mutual Investments, California State Teachers Retirement System (CalSTRS), Wellington Management, Range Ventures, and Tao Capital Partners. Kudos to Microsoft Climate Innovation Fund (Brandon Middaugh), Google Ventures (Andy Wheeler), for participating in prior funding rounds as well. [Link] #Robotics #Waste Management Tech #Artificial Intelligence #Machine Learning #Sustainability Tech #Environmental Technology #Advanced Materials
Heirloom, led by Shashank Samala, has raised $150 million in a Series B funding round. Heirloom develops Direct Air Capture (DAC) technology that uses enhanced limestone to capture CO2 directly from the atmosphere. Its innovative process accelerates natural CO2 absorption, reducing the timeline from years to just three days. After capturing CO2, the renewable energy-powered process extracts and stores it permanently underground. Heirloom operates North America’s first commercial DAC facility and has partnered on Project Cypress, a DOE-supported initiative to build large-scale CO2 removal capacity, serving companies like Microsoft, Stripe, Meta, and JPMorgan. The company plans to reduce the cost of its technology, develop additional projects, and secure infrastructure capital. The round was led by Future Positive and Lowercarbon Capital, with new investors including H&M Group, Japan Airlines Co., Ltd., Mitsubishi Corporation (Americas), Mitsui & Co., Ltd., MOL Switch LLC, Quantum Innovation Fund, Ahren Innovation Capital (Alice Newcombe-Ellis), and Siemens Financial Services, among others. Kudos to Yes VC (Caterina Fake, Jyri Engestrom), for participating in prior funding rounds as well. [Link] #Carbon Capture #ClimateTech #Environmental Technology #Sustainability Tech #Renewable Materials #Advanced Materials #Circular Economy
Tractian, led by Igor Marinelli, has raised $120 million in a Series C funding round. Tractian specializes in manufacturing AI, providing an industrial copilot platform for manufacturing leaders. The platform helps prevent unplanned downtime, improve operational efficiency, and enhance maintenance capacity by addressing the root causes of machine issues. Combining proprietary models and large language models (LLMs), it delivers actionable insights by analyzing machine utilization, OEM specifications, and operational demands. With offices in Mexico City and São Paulo, Tractian extends its global reach, supporting businesses worldwide in optimizing their operations. The company plans to expand operations and accelerate development efforts. The round was led by Sapphire Ventures (Anders Ranum), with participation from General Catalyst (Trevor Oelschig), Next47 (Lak Ananth), and NGP Capital (Debjit Mukerji). Kudos to Y Combinator (Dalton Caldwell), Soma Capital (Aneel Ranadive), for participating in prior funding rounds as well. [Link] #Industrial Automation #Artificial Intelligence #Machine Learning #Internet of Things #Predictive Maintenance #Data Analytics Platform #Sustainability Tech
Infleqtion, led by Matthew Kinsella, has secured $11 million in Debt funding through the U.S. Department of Defense’s Accelerate the Procurement and Fielding of Innovative Technologies (APFIT) program. Infleqtion is a quantum technology company specializing in solutions for positioning, navigation, timing (PNT), and precision timekeeping. With over 17 years of experience commercializing quantum technology with neutral atoms, its expertise spans atomic clocks, quantum RF, quantum software, and neutral-atom quantum computing. These technologies enhance performance and precision across critical industries, supporting military, navigation, and communication operations in contested environments. The company plans to advance its Rack Mounted Optical Clocks project, including its Tiqker initiative, to deliver precision timing solutions that bolster military operational readiness and secure communications. The funding was provided by the U.S. Department of Defense as part of the APFIT program. Kudos to Maverick Ventures (Ambar Bhattacharyya), for participating in prior funding rounds as well. [Link] #Quantum Computing #Frontier Tech #Next Gen Timing #Quantum Sensors #Artificial Intelligence #High-Fidelity Qubits Error Detection #Next Gen Navigation
Vooma, led by Jesse Buckingham, has raised over $16 million across Seed and Series A funding rounds. Vooma provides an AI-powered platform for freight brokers and carriers, streamlining logistics operations and reducing manual workloads. Its products include Vooma Quote, which automates quote management and tracking, Vooma Build, a data-entry assistant for load building, and Vooma Voice, which handles calls for tasks like load bookings and scheduling. Vooma’s multi-channel AI platform integrates email, text, and voice, enabling logistics companies to enhance efficiency, address logistical challenges, and strengthen relationships critical to their success. The company plans to invest in go-to-market and customer success initiatives to meet growing demand for its AI-powered products. The funding included $13 million in Series A led by Craft Ventures (Lainy Painter) and $3.6 million in a seed round led by Index Ventures, with participation from Operator Stack (Ron Pragides) and HOF Capital. [Link] #Transportation Tech #AI Agent #Artificial Intelligence #Logistics Software #Supply Chain Automation #Customer Support Software #Predictive Analytics
HappyRobot, led by Pablo Palafox, has raised $15.6 million in a Series A funding round. HappyRobot specializes in AI-powered voice solutions for the logistics sector, offering agentic AI that automates communication and streamlines operations for freight brokers, 3PLs, warehouses, and supply chain businesses. Its platform enhances efficiency by managing inbound and outbound calls, automating tasks such as load updates, scheduling, payment inquiries, and carrier negotiations. HappyRobot integrates with existing systems to provide real-time analytics, intent detection, and 24/7 support, enabling logistics teams to optimize capacity, increase productivity, and improve service quality. The company plans to expand its operations and accelerate development efforts. The round was led by Andreessen Horowitz (Anish Acharya), with participation from Y Combinator (Diana Hu) and strategic industry investors, including RyderVentures. Kudos to Array Ventures (Shruti Gandhi), for participating in prior funding rounds as well. [Link] #AI Agent #Artificial Intelligence #Logistics Software #Supply Chain Management Software #Transportation Tech #Predictive Analytics #Customer Support Software
Nurture Boss, led by Jacob Carter, has raised $4.025 million in a Series A funding round. Nurture Boss provides an advanced AI platform tailored for the multifamily housing sector. Its solutions help apartment owners and operators automate and execute every step of the renter lifecycle, from lead generation to lease renewals. By streamlining processes and leveraging AI-powered tools, the platform enables users to convert more prospective renters and retain more residents, improving operational efficiency and customer satisfaction across the multifamily industry. The company plans to continue expanding operations, invest in product development, and make strategic hires, including its recent addition of Brock MacLean as CRO. The round was led by AZ-VC, with participation from current investors PHX Ventures and In Revenue Capital (Justin Gray). Kudos to Kapital Partners (Nickhil Bhave), for participating in prior funding rounds as well. [Link] #PropTech #AI Agent #Artificial Intelligence #Customer Engagement Software #Customer Retention Tech #SaaS #Predictive Analytics
WeatherFlow-Tempest, led by Buck Lyons, has raised $3 million in a Growth funding round. WeatherFlow-Tempest provides weather technology and environmental monitoring solutions, delivering accurate, AI-driven weather data to support better decision-making and cost savings. Its platform powers innovations in outdoor smart home systems, including smart irrigation and energy solutions, while also serving industries such as utilities, news media, and commercial real estate. With over 80,000 weather stations deployed across North America, the company helps customers mitigate the impact of weather on business and daily life. The company plans to accelerate the deployment of its weather stations and expand its B2B SaaS and DaaS offerings. The round was led by WindSail Capital Group (Ian Bowles). [Link] #ClimateTech #Weather Station Tech #Artificial Intelligence #Sustainability Tech #Environmental Technology #Predictive Analytics #DaaS
Provarity, led by Chris Cabrera, has raised $7 million in a Seed funding round. Provarity provides an AI-powered presales platform designed to optimize sales engineering performance. Its solution streamlines presales processes, accelerates sales cycles, and drives revenue growth by offering real-time visibility into key presales activities and actionable insights for optimization. Integrated with popular CRMs, the platform helps organizations better understand and enhance their sales engineering efforts. Provarity currently serves over 1,000 users in the B2B sales ecosystem. The company plans to scale its presence in the B2B sales ecosystem, grow its customer base, enhance customer support, and further refine its platform. The round was led by Cheyenne Ventures (Gregory Eaton, Jay Fulcher), with participation from Crosslink Capital, Illuminate Ventures, and Rembrandt Venture Partners. [Link] #SalesTech #GTM Platform #Artificial Intelligence #Sales Intelligence Software #Sales Productivity Software #Predictive Analytics #Customer Engagement Software
Enterpret, led by Varun Sharma, has raised $20.8 million in a Series A funding round. Enterpret provides an AI-enabled customer feedback intelligence platform that helps product development and CX teams unify and analyze unstructured feedback from multiple channels. Its adaptive AI models extract themes, sentiment, issues, and topics, enabling teams to identify patterns and improve customer satisfaction quickly. Serving clients like Monday.com, Canva, Notion, Loom, and Strava, Enterpret bridges divides between product, marketing, and sales teams, enhancing collaboration and driving actionable insights. The company plans to scale operations and deploy no-code AI agents to help customers collect and analyze rich feedback more effectively. The round was led by Canaan Partners (Rayfe Gaspar-Asaoka), with participation from Kleiner Perkins, Peak XV Partners, Wing Ventures, and Recall Capital. Angel investors included Lauryn Motamedi (Notion), Elena Verna (Dropbox), Nan Yu (Linear), and Andrew Berman (Zapier), among others. Rayfe Gaspar-Asaoka, partner at Canaan Partners, has joined the board. [Link] #Artificial Intelligence #Natural Language Processing #CX Tech #Customer Engagement Software #Predictive Analytics #AI Copilot #Data Analytics Platform
Yurts, led by Ben Van Roo, has raised $40 million in a Series B funding round. Yurts provides generative AI (GenAI) integration solutions at scale for defense, government, and enterprise customers. Originating from a strategic collaboration with the Department of Defense, its platform connects AI models to high-security systems, enabling mission-critical workflows that enhance operational insights, decision-making, and productivity. Designed for secure environments, Yurts transforms experimental GenAI use into deeply integrated, practical applications for organizations with stringent security requirements. The company plans to accelerate growth and expand capabilities for deep integration of generative AI across mission-critical systems. The round was led by XYZ Venture Capital (Ross Fubini), with participation from Glynn Capital, Nava Ventures (Manish Patel), Bloomberg Beta, and Mango Capital. [Link] #Artificial Intelligence #Generative AI #AI Integration #DefenseTech #Government Tech #Data Security Solutions #AI Platform
*Note: The companies we feature in our weekly recap are a very small subset of a much larger batch, carefully chosen based on our team's assessment of how each company aligns with our GTM search practice. It’s worth noting that most startups raise funding rounds privately, often long before the news is announced publicly!
